Obituary: Bonnie J. Shelley

Bonnie J. Shelley

Bonnie J. Shelley

Bonnie J. Shelley was born Bonnie Jane Sperry in Sullivan, Missouri, on Nov. 15, 1926, to Earl W. Sperry and Erma L. Trout. She outlived her three husbands: Peter P. Lipkan, father of her five children; Clark C. Shelley, who was her most ardent cheerleader, best friend and supported her fully as she went back to school to obtain her Bachelor of Music degree (U of A vocal performance, with distinction) and her Master of Arts in Music (Cal State Fullerton vocal performance 1976); and Dean Hollister, a fellow teacher at NAU.

She achieved a listing in Who’s Who in America in 2007. Bonnie and Clark retired to Prescott in 1985 where she continued to teach voice through Yavapai Community College (1986-1992 and then 1998-2008). NAU recruited her as a teacher in 1989 and she commuted back and forth several times a week, retiring at the end of 1993. Bonnie was either choir director or music director at the following area churches: 1st Congregational and St. Luke’s Episcopal churches in Prescott and 1st Methodist and Mingus View Presbyterian in Prescott Valley.

She is survived by four of her five children, Kathleen Cuvelier lives in Prescott Valley, Michael Lipkan, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Ivory, Charissa Herbert and her husband, Ron live in Palatine, Illinois, and Brian Shelley and his wife, Jeanice live in Fair Oaks, California. It was a heartbreak for her that Christopher Shelley passed away at the age of 59.

Bonnie was wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and she also made those who studied voice with her feel like a member of the family. She was a woman of extraordinary determination and accomplished enough for more than one lifetime.

In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in her memory. She passed away Jan. 15, 2021, and her funeral arrangements are being handled by Heritage Memory Mortuary in Prescott.

Information provided by the survivors.


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